After forced disappearances: reuniting families, uncovering memories

Abstract

This article addresses the family reuniting experiences of a group of six children who lost track of their loved ones and places of origin as a result of the armed conflict in Peru (1980-2000). For more than twenty years, the families of these minors considered them dead or disappeared. When delving deeper into their life stories, it becomes clear that family reunion, far from constituting a “happy ending”, is a sensitive and difficult experience, filled with nuances and even conflict. Reuniting with “loved ones” constitutes a family challenge that questions the very notion of family. It implies becoming involved in a process of unveiling painful and traumatic memories. In this sense, family memories and practices play a crucial role in the moment of “making a family” again and, especially, in the reconstruction of bonds and affective ties within broken, damaged and displaced families.